1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a shoulder implant for correcting recurrent shoulder dislocation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An indication of recurrent dislocation of the shoulder joint is the existance of an excessively narrow lower front edge to the socket of the shoulder joint. To date, surgical techniques for correcting a dislocation of this nature have envisaged taking a chip of bone from the tibia or pelvis and driving it into the scapula as a shoulder implant to widen the lower front edge of the socket of the shoulder joint. By so doing it is ensured that the gaseous shoulder implant will grow into the bone because it is material natural to the body.
However, there are felt to be disadvantages of the surgical procedures currently practised, namely that post-operative treatment requires a relatively long period and that an additional resection, which represents a stress to the body, has to be performed to remove the implant of bone from the tibia or the pelvis.
Hence, the main object of the present invention is to provide an artificial shoulder implant which simulates a chip of bone and which can be used to appreciably shorten the post-operative treatment and which removes the need for any additional resection. At the same time the aim is that it should be possible to anchor the implant securely in the bony matter of the scapula.